Cranberry Jelly Recipe for Thanksgiving – Thanksgiving Recipes.
Hello November!
I realize you’ve been around a week already …
did I miss anything important? 😉
Seriously, though. I know I’ve been MIA. I have zero reasons why — and am seriously sad I missed one of my favorite times of the year! — but I’m ready to jump into the end of this fall season. And ride it out to the end. Starting with today’s Cozy Living post.
Remember how I will sometimes join my fellow blogging friends (organized by the fabulous Jennifer at Town and Country Living) to share what makes the coming month cozy for us. Or how we make it cozy for us?
Well, today is the day we all share some November cozies …
And I thought I’d share a cozy little November Thanksgiving tradition.
Especially since this Thanksgiving is going to be super duper extra cozy (and when I say cozy, I mean small; just Mike and I and the kids cozy small).
My mom has been making this cranberry jelly recipes since … well … forever. It was passed down from her mother. And I’m thinking from my great-grandmother too.
I honestly don’t know how long it’s been around in my family’s history. Who knows? There’s a pretty good chance it traveled to the America’s by boat.
But when my mother makes this recipe she just kinda … fudges …
a sprinkle of this and a pinch of that kind of cook.
Some years it worked. Some years it failed and we had to start again from scratch.
Me? I’m not much into starting again from scratch. I like instructions. Careful measurements. Specific cook times.
So one year while making this recipe (using my mom’s sprinkles and pinches instructions) I decided to measure those sprinkles. And pinches.
And here’s the recipe I landed on …
McGahan Family Cranberry Jelly Recipe
Equipment
- saucepan
- colander
- cheesecloth & string
- mason jars and/or jelly jars
Ingredients
- 2 bags cranberries (12 oz. bags each)
- 1 box Sure Jell
- 4 cups sugar
- 5 cups water
Instructions
- Day One: Put cranberries and 5 cups water in large saucepan. Slow boil for 15 minutes. When cranberries stop popping, boil for additional 5 minutes. Place cheesecloth in colander and place inside a saucepan. Drain cranberries through cheesecloth, capturing liquid in pan. Use string to hang cheesecloth over saucepan overnight (keep colander in place).
- Day Two: Discard cranberries and cheesecloth. Place saucepan with drained cranberry liquid on stove and set to high heat. When steam starts to form, slowly add in Sure Jell and stir constantly. When liquid comes to a full rolling boil you can stir down, add 4 cups of sugar all at once. Stir until completely dissolved. Bring to a full rolling boil again, and boil 2-minutes. Turn off heat and pour into jelly jars. Let jars come to room temperature before covering and refrigerating.
And I’ve never had to go back and start from scratch again. 🙂
Be sure to check out how my blogging friends are getting cozy this November …
Hymns and Verses / Making It in the Mountains / It All Started with Paint
A Stroll Thru Life / Sincerely Marie Designs / Town and Country Living
Finding Silver Pennies / Creative Cain Cabin / Duke Manor Farm
That recipe looks so good. I will definitely have to make some this year. Thanks again for hosting the Fall Tour for me,, that was a monumental task and you did it to perfection.
Thank you Marty! You are so sweet, as always! So happy you have joined Jennifer’s little monthly cozy club! 🙂
What a terrific idea, I’ve never thought of making cranberry jelly and not sure I’ve ever even heard or seen it before. It looks like such a simple recipe too 🙂 Thanks for the great idea!
It’s so sweet and tangy and tasty! Oh, and the kids love it too (as well as the kid still in me! 🙂
This looks SO yummy and would make such a lovely gift!
Thank you! And, yes, it is a great gift! I make extra batches for my nieces and nephew! 🙂
This is perfect for this month! I’ve pinned the recipe to two of my boards so I don’t loose it! Can’t wait to make it for Thanksgiving!
Thanks for the pin!!! 🙂
The fabulous Jennifer. LOL. I love making jam/jelly. I never thought to make cranberry jelly. It’s so pretty and I love the jars you chose!
Ooooh, your cranberry jelly looks amazing. Can’t wait to try it!
This certainly looks better then the canned kind that I open up every year. m gonna sprinkle and pinch and see what I come up with. Hope you are doing well.
This sounds absolutely delicious! I’ve never had cranberry jelly before but can’t wait to try this recipe. I always like to serve a special jam or butter with our Thanksgiving meal. This would be perfect. Thanks for sharing the recipe with us!
Hi. I see all the wonderful results above…mine didn’t gel at all. Been in fridge for a week and still liquid!! Help!! I’ll try again if you throw out some possible things I may have done!!?????
I’m so sorry I haven’t gotten back to you sooner! If you do try again and it doesn’t jell properly, then get another box of Sure Jell and pour the liquid back into the sauce pan. Cook on high. Slowly stir in Sure Jell when starts steaming. Bring to a boil again and let boil for a few minutes (be careful it doesn’t boil over). Then try pouring into your jelly glasses again. Let cool down on the counter before putting them in the fridge.
Again, apologies for this late response!
Linda
Hi 🙂
Looking for a bit of clarification.
Your recipe says to add 5 cups of water to the cranberries, cook, strain and then doesn’t say if the strained juice should be remeasured before proceding with the rest of the process. The measured outcome could conceivable be very different for different batches. Knowing how critical certain measurements can be for some jellies, I’d like to know if you do measure it before adding the sugar and pectin.
I’m really looking forward to making this.
Thank you,
Carolyn
You say let cool on counter. Can the lid be put on when hot and “can”. So it has shelf life.. ?